How many times have you been down on yourself over the years? Have you ever thought because you failed at something that you were a failure? Have you spoken derogatory words over yourself or others? I could ask a lot more questions along this line. We only fell into negativity because we didn’t really believe God’s word. Let me explain.

Romans 8:31, 33 says, “…If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” What right do we have to speak against ourselves if our Creator doesn’t? We only do it because we have bought into the enemy’s lies.

Stop right here. Ask the Lord to forgive you for bringing a negative charge against yourself. Then renounce the lies that you have believed, and affirm, “I believe that God is for me! I am free from my false accusations!”

Romans 8:29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” How does something get conformed? Through pressure.

I think of a wheel potter. Water is laboriously worked into the hard clay before it can be moldable. As the wheel is spinning, the potter applies intense pressure to center the clay in order to shape it. If it doesn’t get centered, the intended vessel will be uneven and collapse.

The Lord uses our trials to center us on Him. Once we are centered He is able to conform us to His image. I think of the words used in Hebrews 12:11. In the Amplified it says, “For the time being no discipline brings joy…but afterwards…(righteousness—in conformity to God’s will in purpose, thoughts, and action…”

Walking in the fear of the Lord is reverential trust. We live as partakers of His nature. 2 Peter 1:4. We breathe in His Presence with every breath we take. Proverbs 3:32 Amplified says, “…His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the (uncompromising) righteousness…”

Abiding, dwelling, and vitally united are intimate communion words. John 15:7 Amplified says, “If you live in Me (abide vitally united to Me) and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.”

Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.” Colossians 2:3 says, “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” His wisdom is imparted during our intimate communion with Him. We breathe it into our spirit man and walk in spiritual vitality.

I like to pick up the definition of the fear of the Lord from Psalm 25:14 in the Amplified. It says, “The secret (of the sweet, satisfying companionship) of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its (deep, inner) meaning.”

Walking in the fear of the Lord is a lifestyle of worship. It is companionship with the Lord that satisfies our deepest longings. The Lord gave general information to the multitudes through parables. Then during intimate communion with His disciples He gave them the deep inner meaning,

I love Proverbs 9:10. I often visit it in my mind. It says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” I encourage you to read “Knowledge of the Holy” by A. W. Tozer if you never have. He goes into many aspects of God’s attributes.

I have begun to meditate through the book of Proverbs. In chapter two there is a progression of when we do something, then there will be a result. I like to read it as though the Lord is speaking. 

Verses 1-4 are the when: you receive My words, treasure My commands within you, incline your ear to wisdom, apply your heart to understanding, cry out for discernment, lift up your voice for understanding, seek her as silver, search for her as for hidden treasures…verse 5 says, “Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”

Verse 10-11 says, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul…Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.” Put verses 12-19 in parenthesis. Verse 20 says, “So you may walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness.”

As we continue to dissect this word, let’s look at the scene in John 8. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in adultery. Verse 6 says that they were testing Him that, “…they might have something of which to accuse Him…”

Their plot fell apart when He called them out. Verse 7 says, “…He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Verse 9 says, “…being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one…”

Jesus then asked the women in verse 10, “…where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” In verse 11 He said, “…Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

It is easy to “accuse” others of wrongdoing, when we ignore our own sin. We are called to build one another up. Ephesians 4:1-2 says to walk worthy of our calling, “With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another.”

Dissect means to analyze something in minute detail ~ study the internal parts. In Romans 8:33-34 Paul asked some questions. It says, “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen…”

A charge is an accusation. Who is the accuser of the brethren? Satan. We are being influenced by the devil when we accuse another with a judgmental spirit. What right do we have? We have swallowed the bait on satan’s hook when we have a critical spirit, make derogatory remarks, or become a fault-finder of others.

There is a warning in Matthew 7:1-2. The word judge also means condemn. It says, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Here is a new song called Rejoicing Bones. When I thought about my circumstances I became gloomy inside. My heart was getting heavy and my peace destroyed. Then in Your Word You revealed the secret of health. My bones are affected when my heart is in despair.

You said renew your mind. Rejoice in Me. I change not. There’s no shadow in Me. No matter what happens I remain the same.

So I turned my gaze from what was dragging me down. I looked to You my Victorious One. My heart began to rise like yeast in dough and my mouth opened in song.

In You I can rejoice. For You are my strength. I look away from sin to the spotless Lamb. All my sins are cleansed in Your precious blood. My heart sings through a rush of love. Yes my heart is filled with joy in You that nothing can destroy. I rejoice in You my eternal strength. My joy is full when I look to You.

What happens when we ignore God’s commands? We fall into consequences. Matthew 18:34 was about the one who refused to forgive. It says, “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”

That servant was forgiven an impossible-to-pay debt. Yet refused to forgive a fellow servant’s small debt. We are commanded to forgive as we have been forgiven. Ephesians 4:32. Colossians 3:13.

God’s commands are for our protection. Carrying an offense or a grudge negatively affects our health. Bitterness creates chemical changes. It drops acid on connective pathways in our brain. 

David wrote Psalm 31. Verse 10 says, “For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.” Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

When God says, “Don’t” and we do there will be consequences to our disobedience. I know this one well. In 1975 I found a house to buy. The downpayment was $1500.00. In order to have that money I would have to sell my house first. Three of us wanted to live together and mine was too small.

I fell right into the trap of the enemy. It was a perfect set up that I didn’t resist. I walked into my bank. The manager greeted me and excitedly explained a new feature of the bank ~ credit lines. She said that I could get $1500.00 on a credit line and pay it back over time. I took the bait.

I paid for that disobedience for ten years. The consequences were like dominos falling. One thing after another went wrong. The Lord forgives our sins, but He doesn’t remove the consequences. The path of obedience is strewn with grace.